How President Trump Made the DACA Debate More Divisive With One Phrase
In his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump addressed his desire to tighten the border by emphasizing “immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families.” Trump called on members of Congress to work together on immigration reform to “defend Americans — to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers, too.”
Immediately, critics, journalists, activists and other commentators took to social media to question the phrase “Americans are dreamers, too,” suggesting that it amounted to a racist dog-whistle against immigrants.
Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau cited polling that shows the vast majority of Americans feel that people brought to the U.S. as children should have the right to remain, as DACA would have allowed them to do before Trump announced he would end it:
“Americans are dreamers too” is also intentionally divisive on an issue where 80%+ of the public agrees, so don’t tell me Trump even attempted to unify.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) January 31, 2018
ThinkProgress editor-in-chief Judd Legum cited the phrase’s popularity among white nationalists:
2. The thing racists were particularly impressed with is Trump's phrase "Americans are dreamers too." You can find this phrase posted all over the place on top of stock images of white people. https://t.co/BlgXaBznf0 pic.twitter.com/BmyavMaxx0
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 31, 2018
And, indeed, perhaps the two most notorious white supremacists active today tweeted out the phrase after Trump used it:
“Americans are dreamers, too.”
~Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/nZmUFBWMCE— Richard ???? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) January 31, 2018
Thank you President Trump. Americans are "Dreamers" too.
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) January 31, 2018
Vox journalist Dara Lind pointed out that Trump used similar language when he announced he would end DACA:
I don't think this can be overemphasized: Trump also used the "Americans are dreamers too" trope in the official WH statement confirming the end of DACA. https://t.co/cQlw5Apmer pic.twitter.com/ogccD5fA3s
— Dara Lind (@DLind) January 31, 2018
Journalist and academic Jason Johnson was one of many to compare “Americans are dreamers too” with the anti-Black Lives Matter phrase “All Lives Matter”:
"Americans are Dreamers Too" is the #AllLivesMatter of the immigration debate.....@TheRoot #SOTU pic.twitter.com/WZOuKUqEI8
— Jason Johnson (@DrJasonJohnson) January 31, 2018
For those who view the language as anti-immigrant, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave a succinct explanation:
“Americans are dreamers too” is why President Trump is so remarkable. It shifts focus from a small group to the whole nation.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) January 31, 2018